short deviations from the path are lovely
My excursion to Kendal actually took place between Manchester and York, but the entry was unfinished earlier. There you go.
Spent the day wandering around Kendal. Seriously, I am at rather a loss to explain the incredible beauty the surrounds this town. Even in the misty rain, it was stunning. Trekked up to the Castle Howe where the first castle at Kendal was built. Only the walls and embankments are left on the Howe, but it's easy to see why it was chosen. The spot provides a clear view of all the surrounding countryside. After this, I trekked around to the remains of Kendal Castle. This required quite the haul up a rather high hill. I mean really high. And wet. Had I not already been fairly damp, I would have crossed over into dampness during the uphill trek. At any rate, the remains and the view were quite impressive. Basically, it was a walled fortress that contained a manor house, cellars, small armory, tower to house the noble family, and the yard. It was probably built in the 12th century. From what was left, it was easy to see that this would have been fairly impressive sitting atop its hill. Eventually I trekked back down to wander about the town and its surroundings. I wanted to go to the museum there, but apparently it's not open on Tuesdays. Ah well. I satisfied my with visiting the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry. This turned out to be more interesting than I expected, actually, featuring some really fun walk-through displays of different parts/places in Kendal's history. I also visited the Holy Trinity Parish Church there which was both very old and very lovely. Eventually, I took my damp self back to the hostel to dry off and charge various batteries. Not long after I returned, my two charming roommates also returned and invited me to dinner with them. I accepted, and we had a lovely evening. They were both British which led to some fun comparing and contrasting. I caught up on my internets and went to sleep fully intent on getting up, showering, and having a nice breakfast before departing on the train. As it turns out, if you have the volume turned down on your iPod, you can't hear the alarm. I woke up in tome to get up, dress, and just make the train. No shower or breakfast for me. Not as much fun as my intended morning. Nevertheless, I made the train and departed for York.